Barentz to Acquire Majority of Shares of Vitablend Holding

22/02/08 Barentz Europe BV has announced the acquisition of a major stake in Vitablend Holding, a privately held production company of antioxidants, vitamin and mineral blends and nutraceuticals for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Through this acquisition Barentz strengthens its technological capabilities and next to its in-house centers of excellence for the meat and baking industry, Vitablend will become the group’s centre of excellence for nutritional products and concept development.

The portfolio of Vitablend products fits perfectly in the product mix that Barentz is offering on a pan-European basis through its 19 subsidiaries in 25 countries and reinforces the relation with the European key customers. The Barentz sourcing activities with own offices in China and India provide a strategic advantage to Vitablend.

Vitablend was formed in 2000 and has a state-of-the-art facility in Wolvega, in the province of Friesland in The Netherlands. The company is a specialist in protection, with a full range of antioxidant products, and in fortification, through tailor made blends of micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides and nutraceuticals.

The company offers a vast know how in food and pharmaceutical applications from infant to clinical nutrition to food supplements and from spreads to baked goods, cereals and drinks.

Vitablend has its own sales offices in France, Germany and the UK.

 Barentz is a specialized distribution company for the food, feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical industries. The company has been growing mainly through organic growth and only embarked on a pan-European presence since the nineties. This acquisition demonstrates the determination to reinforce its position as the leading specialty ingredients supplier in Europe.

“Barentz provides us synergies and support that will allow us to realize our ambitious growth targets.” says Jack Boers, the director of Vitablend Holding.  “Vitablend’s expertise in developing and producing Protection and Fortification systems will bring more added value to the Barentz product portfolio. At the same time Barentz huge European sales network will help us to accelerate our growth and the infrastructure of Barentz will help to reduce costs, for example through Barentz Sourcing” 

“Contrary to most of our competitors, Barentz has become a pan-European specialty ingredient distributor mainly through organic growth and will continue to do so in the future. We offer a complete portfolio of products and a one-stop-shop for our customers. At the same time we have acquired some very unique technological production companies such as Barentz Ingredients in 2002, L.I. Frank-Miedendorp in 2007 and now Vitablend. With centers of excellence in bakery, meat and nutritional products we continue to strengthen our innovative and technological support for our customers,” according to Hidde van der Wal, CEO of Barentz Europe BV.